Chapter 24 - The divorce and the house
I filed for divorce before Ryan’s trial ended.
The house was marital property.
Diane did not own it despite behaving as if she did.
Ryan and I had purchased it together five years earlier.
Mortgage mostly paid from marital income.
I wanted to sell.
At first.
Then Lily’s therapist said:
“Do not make a permanent housing decision because of one room if the rest of the house can become safe.”
So I waited.
The basement laundry-room door was removed after evidence release.
The lock and hasp preserved until no longer needed.
We renovated:
Open doorway.
Bright lighting.
Shelving.
No enclosed child-accessible space.
I still chose not to move back immediately.
The divorce property dispute became active.
Ryan’s lawyer argued:
Selling during incarceration would depress value and unfairly prejudice his share.
My lawyer proposed:
Appraisal.
I could buy out his equity.
Independent appraisal:
$1.86 million net equity after mortgage and estimated sale costs.
My share under settlement framework:
Roughly half with adjustments.
I bought out Ryan’s interest using separate savings and refinancing.
No revenge seizure.
No forcing Diane to pay.
Then marital finances revealed Ryan spent:
$38,000
on surveillance equipment, storage rent, private custody consultant, and legal drafting from marital funds without telling me.
Those expenditures affected equitable distribution.
The settlement credited:
$29,000
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against his share after excluding ordinary legitimate legal consultation.
Not every hidden dollar became theft.
